Oxidation of aliphatic amines by brain and other tissues

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Abstract
Deamination of butylamine, amylamine, isoamyla-mine and heptylamine takes place in presence of slices of brain cortex (rat and guinea pig). With the lower amines, propylamine, ethylamine, methylamine, deamination is less marked or negligible. Similar results are obtained with rat liver. Guinea-pig liver and kidney deaminate butylamine, with little or no action on propylamine. Kidney has a smaller effect than liver. Acetoacetic acid is formed by liver in presence of butylamine. Rat kidney showed no measurable deaminating effect. Extracts of brain, liver and kidney possess the power of deamination. The respiration of brain cortex (in presence of glucose) is lowered by the higher amines but the respiration of liver, on the other hand, is increased by the amines which undergo oxidation. lsoamylamine is broken down by brain and liver to yield a substance giving a hydrazone with 2:4-dinitro-phenylhydrazine and the possible formation of isoamyl alcohol is indicated by the development of the characteristic odour. The oxidation of the amine appears to occur only under aerobic conditions. An amine oxidising system exists in brain and other tissues which is distinct from the a-amino acid oxidizing system.

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